Eight Nigerian Christian Youth Kidnapped

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ABUJA (Worthy News) – Eight members of Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYCS) who are believed to be Christians have been abducted by suspected Islamic gunmen in the country’s northwestern Zamfara State, several sources said Tuesday.

Christian evangelist Paul Jongas told Worthy News that all the abducted people “are believed to be Christians” as they came from predominantly Christian communities.

The kidnapping was a significant setback to NYCS, a mandatory one-year “nation-building” program for young graduates.

Nigerian media reported that the youth traveling in a passenger bus were stopped by gunmen while traveling along a highway in Zamfara State. Some 11 NYCS members were targeted by “three escaped” from the gunmen, the transport company AKTC.

The bus driver was also abducted, said an AKTC spokesperson who added that the bus driver was also seized.

“The corps members were offloaded (from the bus) and taken into the bush,” he told Nigerian media. “The police have recovered the bus.”

One of the abducted corps members was named as Emmanuel Esudue, a graduate of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering at the Akwa Ibom State University.

The AKTC said the corps member’s phone number has been unreachable since Thursday.
Another victim was identified as Betty Udofia.

The kidnappers reportedly contacted her parents, demanding 4 million Nigerian nairas ($5,300) in ransom.

It comes at a time of broader concerns about kidnappings, often of Christians, in the African country.

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